tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post9129780758478716555..comments2024-03-24T05:42:24.847-05:00Comments on Taking Wing: FUBARSam Weigelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06332414897030323612noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-78016851793625216332008-01-12T13:22:00.000-06:002008-01-12T13:22:00.000-06:00Having been a start-up dispatcher, I can say that ...Having been a start-up dispatcher, I can say that your dispatcher was probably already buried, and he just was trying to keep his head above water, and probably not doing a good job at it.<BR/><BR/>My guess is that NewCo has only one DX on duty at a time?<BR/><BR/>Those are the hardest...<BR/><BR/>A 121 DispatcherDoug in Dispatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04661971772707543000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-67268810555881043722008-01-11T01:37:00.000-06:002008-01-11T01:37:00.000-06:00Sam, and you thought these days might be confined ...Sam, and you thought these days might be confined to Horizon? Doh!<BR/>Good luck over there my friend, maybe we'll meet in MSO sometime, where do you RON?<BR/><BR/>Aloha,<BR/>Rick BarlowAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-35459393825222712008-01-03T11:42:00.000-06:002008-01-03T11:42:00.000-06:00Sam:The best writers project their world on to the...Sam:<BR/><BR/>The best writers project their world on to the canvases of their readers. With this post, I'd say you've achieved that status... I did want to hit that gate agent, even if you couldn't. Well done.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14147714446076460699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-24825606072929577312007-12-31T20:09:00.000-06:002007-12-31T20:09:00.000-06:00Really enjoyed this, thanks. If you ever DO make ...Really enjoyed this, thanks. If you ever DO make it to DSM, hit me up and I'll buy you a beer...or mocha, if you gotta fly out the next morning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-15002675806767640252007-12-31T13:32:00.000-06:002007-12-31T13:32:00.000-06:00LMAO ... what a great story. I've read your blog f...LMAO ... what a great story. I've read your blog for a long time and always enjoy it.<BR/><BR/>I don't know how you kept a straight face that day.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-67579720006530303232007-12-31T13:22:00.000-06:002007-12-31T13:22:00.000-06:00Thanks Sam for a revealing look at a day in the li...Thanks Sam for a revealing look at a day in the life for a regional jet pilot. I'm sure there will be better ones.<BR/>I hope no one at NewCo gets upset with the blog. You are a talented writer and a credit to aviation. Have you ever considered writing some freelance stuff for aviation publications?<BR/>I also wonder what you think about the JungleBus. Is it teething pains? They don't seem to be that reliable but I love how they look, the cabin, and the real airliner feel. Do you prefer the JungleBus or the MegaWhacker?<BR/>Happy New Year - John in IndianaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-61810874170993251382007-12-31T13:04:00.000-06:002007-12-31T13:04:00.000-06:00Sam, good on ya for keeping your cool and doing yo...Sam, good on ya for keeping your cool and doing your best for your customer-passengers during some trying times.<BR/><BR/>Is there any internal mechanism to provide feedback as to the impact that the gate agent had on not only you guys, but also the passengers? It seems like this person should be held to account for not doing more to help the situation. I would think re-training and maybe different compensation (based on customer/co-worker satisfaction?) would go a long way to avoiding this in the future.<BR/><BR/>But then, maybe the software world that I'm used to is just a little different :-)<BR/><BR/>MartyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-59422166370458409692007-12-31T10:45:00.000-06:002007-12-31T10:45:00.000-06:00Not just from Sam's blog, but many other sources, ...Not just from Sam's blog, but many other sources, I become more and more convinced I want to skip the 121 world altogether and go right into corporate flying. I am afraid I would have choked that gate agent. It has been my experience, as a very frequent business traveler, that gate agents wield the biggest sword; have the most opportunity to make a good impression on customers and help flights be a success. Many airlines, like RedCo, do not seem to take that into account when hiring, and probably compensating, for these positions.<BR/><BR/>Actually, RedCo is one of two airlines I no longer fly at all. In RedCo's case, they failed the "3 strikes and you're out" rule because of EXTREMELY rude, unprovoked, Ticket and Gate agents.<BR/><BR/>Kind of sad as I fly into MSP 5-6 times a year and AA is slightly more expensive. Well worth the hit on my travel budget though.LoadMasterC141https://www.blogger.com/profile/00284104260628679772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-11124407336357171912007-12-31T01:22:00.000-06:002007-12-31T01:22:00.000-06:00Ugh. Whenever people ask why I don't want to fly ...Ugh. Whenever people ask why I don't want to fly for a 121 operator, this is the sort of thing I think of.<BR/><BR/>It's not enough that you have a problem-prone airplane, new equipment, unhappy passengers, and unforecast weather to handle. No, the company has to dump on you as well via surly gate agents, rampers, and dispatchers. How ridiculous is it that you called for support from each of those folks and none of them were in the least bit helpful? Not even that -- the gate agent was intentionally subversive by blaming the captain for timing out the last flight.<BR/><BR/>No amount of money is worth that kind of treatment. It's no wonder the airlines are having trouble keeping the pilot ranks filled.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-57832822514573988272007-12-30T19:28:00.000-06:002007-12-30T19:28:00.000-06:00sounds like a terrible day and you and the other c...sounds like a terrible day and you and the other crew coped with it extremely well.<BR/><BR/>it's good to be able to vent your frustrations on your blog. on the other hand, what might management think? i know everything you said is true and factual, but still, it makes your company look not so good. it's a difficult issue ... criticism shouldn't be banned, but companies are usually much better at dealing with criticism that comes from outside rather than inside. (no i don't work for them, i'm just a long-time reader of your awesome blog).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-64557775091462639902007-12-30T09:32:00.000-06:002007-12-30T09:32:00.000-06:00Welcome to Big Red's world of flying. Their new mo...Welcome to Big Red's world of flying. Their new motto should somehow incorporate SNAFU into it.Windsorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12948270622524309820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-85356592417260959022007-12-30T08:21:00.000-06:002007-12-30T08:21:00.000-06:00anon- you misunderstood. This isn't a door between...anon- you misunderstood. This isn't a door between the cockpit and the outside, it's just the door that separates the cockpit from would-be hijackers. A malfunctioning cockpit door is mainly a security issue.<BR/><BR/>The day had a lot of issues that piled up on top of each other, and we certainly weren't getting a lot of help from our dispatchers, crew schedulers, or gate personnel, which increases the load on the crew. I had a great Captain and flight attendants, we all communicated well & kept each other aware of threats. As an example, when our dispatcher told us to go to Des Moines I did a quick fuel calculation and told the CA I didn't think we had enough, check the dispatcher's fuel numbers...and sure enough, they were basing it off of the fuel we had when we entered the hold. I'm pretty sure the CA would have caught that himself but crewmembers backing each other is a major safety layer. I never felt unsafe last Sunday but I did feel that a lot of the usual "layers" were missing in action.Sam Weigelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06332414897030323612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-38917616487027032072007-12-30T07:44:00.000-06:002007-12-30T07:44:00.000-06:00Sam-- great story. Sorry you had to go through all...Sam-- great story. Sorry you had to go through all that. Two questions:<BR/><BR/>1. The very first incident you write about, the cockpit door opening on takeoff: doesn't that mess with pressurization or cause all of the loose paperwork to fly around the cockpit?<BR/><BR/>2. From a safety point of view, was there anything unsafe happening throughout your whole day of travel? The day sounded horrendously annoying, but it seems that safety was preserved at all time. Was it?<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your blog. The best part for me is being able to interact with a pilot. I'm a nervous passenger and I love to educate myself about airline travel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com